


More Than Just a Friend

by Sakuchii



Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys In Love, Crying, Feelings Realization, M/M, Misunderstood Feelings, OC Side Characters, Reunion, Revenge, Romance, Younger Females
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 08:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12317388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakuchii/pseuds/Sakuchii
Summary: Kazemaru always thought of Endou as a friend, but when he heard that Endou is moving away he finally realised that Endou was more than just a friend... It's been three years now and Endou is finally back...





	More Than Just a Friend

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot was published in early 2011 and while I don’t ship this pair anymore, I thought the readers deserve to read an edited version of this one-shot. Originally a song-fic, but the song-lines were deleted in the new version.

**More Than Just a Friend**

_We were always together_  
_and I realized it too late,_  
_you were more than just a friend.  
_

* * *

Kazemaru strolled down the streets, his hands hidden in his hoodies pockets. The rain was so heavy that he had trouble seeing where he was heading to. His head was covered with a hood and he could feel the rain flowing down his cheeks and dropping from the tips of his hair. His face was dark, indicating he hadn't slept well for a sometime.

The bluenette stopped upon seeing a familiar bridge and a soccer field before it. He made his way down to the soccer field and looked up, just enough to see the drenched field and a lonely soccer goal at the end of the field. Kazemaru headed towards the goal and once he was standing under the goalpost, he opened his eyes and looked up. Before him, the so familiar field opened in a completely new way.

"So, this is what he sees," Kazemaru stated with a soft voice indicated by a tint of sadness. This is what the field looked like from the goalpost. It looked a lot of bigger than Kazemaru had thought, but what he felt the top-most was… loneliness. The wide field spread open before him, and there was no one there. Kazemaru was the sole person on the field, standing alone in the heavy rain.

This was the scene what his friend had seen every time they were practicing there after school. There was one but, though. Kazemaru was sure that his friend had never felt this lonely. He had everyone with him, so surely his friend didn't feel lonely at all… after all it's his friend he was thinking about…

His friend?

Kazemaru shook his head at the thought.

A friend… That's what he had thought of his teammate and the teams captain…

A friend… That's what he had thought of Endou Mamoru. At least, until the moment he had heard that the brunette would be moving to live with his grandfather.

Kazemaru took a deep breath and fell on his knees. Tears rolled down his cheeks, mixing with the rain drops. After he had heard that Endou would be moving away for a long time, his heart had broken from

the sadness. Just the thought of not being able to see Endou every day, made him feel so broken inside.

Three years had passed since and Endou hadn't returned yet. With every passing day, Kazemaru slowly lost all hope of ever seeing Endou again. He had convinced himself, that the brunette would not return. This thought alone, made him cry himself asleep every single night, while thinking about his soccer maniac friend.

A friend…

Kazemaru shook his head once again.

No… to him, Endou was…

He was more than just a friend.

While Kazemaru was lost in his own depressed world, two figures walked down the bridge just above the soccer field. Due to the heavy rain, the practice had been cancelled and the couple had decided to meet up and head home together. While both did have their own umbrellas, they had agreed to share one, being more comfortable that way.

The girl had indigo-colored hair which she usually kept open, aside from club. Her eyes were amber-colored while her companions were golden. He had spiky red-colored hair. The girl enrolled to the same school as Kazemaru, being his junior by one year, while the boy went to a different school.

The boy was holding the umbrella, while the girl took care of their bags. The two were chatting happily before the girl stopped unexpectedly. Her eyes had frozen and she was looking down from the bridge.

The boy turned to the girl. "What's wrong?" He asked with confused voice. He moved immediately to cover the girl from the rain.

The indigo-head glanced at him and pointed towards the field. "Look there, isn't that Kazemaru-san?"

The boy looked toward the field and saw a shadowy figure with an orange hoodie sitting under the goal. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure because of the heavy rain, but that outfit and structure implied heavily that it could be Kazemaru.

"I think so, but why would he be here on such a rainy day? That guy must've lost his mind to not bring-" he couldn't even end his sentence, when his girlfriend quickly grabbed an umbrella from his hands and dashed toward the field.

"Aiko, you!" the red-head was left speechless. He didn't know what to do. He had just witnessed his girlfriend dash to some other boy while holding onto her umbrella. He cursed heavily while sighing, and started to stroll after her. Knowing her, he would surely be dead if he didn't.

Kazemaru sniffed loudly. He felt as his eyes started water by the thought of Endou. His sight was slowly turning blurry. The more he thought about the brunette, the painful the feeling in his heart got. The heavy rain was drenching his clothes and hair, to the point they were almost glued to his skin.

Suddenly, the rain stopped. It continued just a few meters away from him, but it had stopped within a small radius around him. Kazemaru looked up in confusion, and his eyes met with a pair of amber-colored ones. They were practically flaming from anger.

"Okaza-" Kazemaru started but was interrupted almost immediately.

"It's Aiko-chan… Aiko! We're not strangers to be called by surnames, right Ichini-san?" the indigo-haired girl retorted, sounding pissed off. She was standing before Kazemaru, covering him with her umbrella, while letting herself get drenched in the rain. After a moment, Aiko's glare turned into a wide smile.

"Oh, right…" came out a quiet reply. Kazemaru wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone and especially that loud package that apparently came in two parts. If it had been her younger sister, the situation would've been easier to handle, but Okazaki Aiko just loved to meddle into people's business. At this point, it didn't take Kazemaru to be a genius to realize that she was mad at him.

"What in the world's peace are you doing here!? You catch a cold like this!" Aiko, as Kazemaru had predicted, rebuked at the bluenette who was completely soaked by the rain. It was very likely that Kazemaru would get bedridden in a matter of a few days.

Before Kazemaru could answer, they heard steps as someone was approaching them. "Aiko! Don't you dare to wander off on your own! You catch a cold like this!" Nagumo Haruya, Aiko's boyfriend scolded the girl. He even used the same words Aiko had said a few moments earlier.

Aiko turned towards Nagumo and pulled out her tongue. "No way! After all, I'm an idiot!" she joked around, but Nagumo was right. If she had been left in the open rain for any longer, she most likely would've caught a cold.

Because Aiko had covered Kazemaru with her umbrella, she had left herself all open to the rain. By now, her t-shirt was completely soaked and her brown skirt got glued to her legs. Her hair was like she had just taken a shower and drops of rain fell from the tips of her hair.

"You idiot!" Nagumo had to restrain himself from cursing in front of his girlfriend. He was known for his vulgar language, and Aiko herself wasn't exactly a saint, but because of his frosty relationship with her father, the boy tried to mind his manners when around her. This way he would act natural around her father too.

Nagumo closed at Aiko. The girl took a step back and closed her eyes in fear. She was pretty much sure that he would scold her for acting rashly. But instead of a shout or anything kind of scolding, she felt as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.

"God tell me, what should I do with you!" Aiko heard a sigh as Nagumo embraced her. The girl felt heat rising to her cheeks as her heart started to beat like a madman. Even though they've been dating for a long time, Nagumo rarely took the initiative. Especially, if they were in a public place.

"Ha-Ha-Haruya…" Aiko stammered, speechless of the sudden display of affection.

There was someone whose feelings mirrored those of Aiko's. Kazemaru looked at the lovey-dovey couple and felt like a knife was turned around in his heart. He treasured the two, and knew that they weren't doing it on purpose, but at the moment, he felt like throwing up.

Kazemaru let out a loud sigh.

He had realized by now; he was jealous of Aiko. The girl was only a year younger than him, but had been dating for almost four years. And her boyfriend wasn't exactly your typical neighbor-childhood friend. Together, these two were the most infamous high school couple in the neighborhood. But at least they were happy.

Kazemaru sighed.

He instead was in an unrequired love with Endou. Yes, he was finally ready to acknowledge his feelings towards his best friend. But it was no good. First of all, he had been too late. He hadn't realized his feelings before Endou's departure. Second, Endou clearly had someone else he liked.

Kazemaru had understood it on that day.

**~ Jr. High ~**

_"You know, Kazemaru…" the bluenette snapped out of it, when he heard his friend call his name after the club practice._

_"Yeah?" Kazemaru opened his water bottle and took a sip from it._

_"Today… Hiroto, he asked me to the cinemas with him." Endou looked baffled as he sat down. He had a light smile on his face._

_Kazemaru almost spurted the water out at the words. He had heard something unbelievable. Hiroto was asking Endou out. Had the cows started flying? Kazemaru didn't know what to say._

_"Oh really?" He tried to play it cool, as if it didn't concern him._

_"Yeah…" Endou flashed an expression Kazemaru had never seen before. He seemed both happy and nervous at the same time. The brunette looked up at Kazemaru "…but I'm not sure whether or not should I go."_

_Seeing Endou's happy expression, Kazemaru could only bite his teeth. He glanced at the brunette and showed forced smile. "Why not, it's not every day you go to cinemas."_

_Despite his smiling face, for some reason, Kazemaru felt his insides storming. He didn't know get why he was feeling so disgusted about the thought of Endou going together with Hiroto. In fact, he would've rather Endou go together with him instead of Hiroto. Not that he could say it, though._

_"Really…" Endou's answer seemed to have lost all of energy. No, it was only his imagination, right? Kazemaru took a glance at Endou and saw that the boy had lowered his head and was staring at the ground. His smile had disappeared and he looked disappointed._

**~ High ~**

At that time, he had still been oblivious to his feelings towards Endou. It was only much later that Kazemaru finally realized how he felt towards the brunette. Just thinking about that day, made the boy feel more miserable. He liked Endou, but the boy… he was in love with someone else.

This was far away from the fairytale of Aiko and Nagumo, but Kazemaru was aware that their story was no fairytale either.

* * *

The next morning, Kazemaru woke up as his alarm went off. He quickly changed his clothes and went downstairs to enjoy his breakfast. In a matter of minutes, he was ready to leave. Kazemaru took his bag and opened the front door, shouting behind him. "I'm going!"

He lived just next to the school, so it didn't take him long to reach it. He just had to walk past a park, it wasn't hard at all, right? In his current circumstances, the park was like a complete abyss with no way out. Even in the morning hours it was filled with couples and it made him feel miserable and he wanted to retch every time it was near his sight.

Today was a lucky day for him, though. Having woken up earlier than usually, the paradise of love wasn't yet full of lovey-dovey couples. He had almost no worries and could easily make his way through the park. Upon seeing the end of the road, the bluenette couldn't hide his smile for any longer.

If only… If only he could make it before they called for him… If only…

"Ichini-san, wait!" It was too late; the demons had been set free.

Kazemaru turned around just to see two indigo-haired girls run toward him. He let out a loud sigh and forced himself to smile. To tell the truth, at this very moment, he really wanted to run away from the twin girls. He had no power face them, especially after having Aiko witness himself in such miserable state.

"Morning!" The twin girls greeted him as they finally caught up with Kazemaru. Their smiles could literally put the sun to shame. Kazemaru immediately averted his eyes to avoid their gazes.

"Good morning." He greeted them quietly.

After exchanging greetings, Aiko and Yukiko joined Kazemaru on the way, not even asking for his permission. The trio continue walking through the park while chatting happily. In fact, it was only the Okazaki twins whose light voices could be heard. To Kazemaru, it was just one more of those chats that made him feel even more depressed, so he decided to ignore it.

He was with them, but his mind was somewhere else.

Okazaki Aiko was the person who had rescued Kazemaru yesterday. Okazaki Yukiko was Aiko's younger twin sister, and much like her sister she had indigo-colored hair. The most significant different between the sisters was that while Aiko's eyes were amber-colored, Yukiko's were copper.

Much like her older sister, Yukiko had a boyfriend and thus was one of the people who made Kazemaru's life uncomfortable. He felt disgusted by the fact that he was being surrounded by couples, while he had no luck in love life at all. In truth, he was the most disgusted about himself, for having these strong feelings of jealousy.

Kazemaru snapped out of it when he saw Aiko staring at him with a concerned look. She moved her hands in nervous manner and puffed her cheeks. It felt weird to have the girl act so uncomfortable. Kazemaru wondered what was going on.

"So, how are you today? Better than yesterday?" Aiko finally managed bring out the itchy topic.

Kazemaru felt his heart skip a beat. Having witnessed his miserable state yesterday, the girl would not stop bugging him for the rest of the month. This was how the girls were. They seemed not to care about you, but if their worry was triggered, they would not stop mentioning about it multiple times a day.

The bluenette gathered himself and flashed a fake smile. He really didn't want to bother his friends with his stupid feelings of jealousy and depression. They had already helped him overcome his worst state, and he had troubled them so much already, that it was better to just lie than tell the truth.

The twins couldn't be of any help, anyway. It was about Kazemaru battling with his unrequired and unchanging feelings towards a certain brunette. There was nothing they could do for him to make him feel better.

Yukiko's smile faded away and she sighed. "You're lying again, aren't you? Not wanting to make us worry," she told as she looked at the sky. The rain from yesterday had cleared up and the sky was bright blue.

Kazemaru's eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to see through his lie this easily. The blue-haired boy sighed and a little smile escaped from his lips. He should've known better. There was no way that he could fool the twins in his current state.

He truly was no match to them.

Suddenly, Aiko stopped to stretch her arms. "If only Mamoru-nii was here. He would know what to do with you."

As if to escape from the trouble she created, the girl dashed forward accompanied by a vivid laugh. It was only moments later, that they noticed her heading towards a spiky-haired boy, who was waiting for her at the end of the park.

"ONEE-!" Yukiko didn't know how to continue. She was furious at her sister for having mentioned that guy's name in front of Kazemaru. Defeated, she turned towards Kazemaru, "I'm sorry…" her apology was cut short the moment she saw the boy.

The teen beside her was crying. Yes, there was a lake of tears running down his cheeks.

"Huh?" Kazemaru stopped the moment he noticed Yukiko staring at him with mouth wide open. At this moment, he also realized his own tears and guessed that it must've been the reason for her sudden amazement.

Kazemaru quickly dried his eyes. "Oh, sorry. I got something in my eye." It was a cliché statement, but he couldn't come up with anything else in such a short moment. He just hoped that the girl wouldn't pry any further into his matters.

"You sure, you're okay?" There was a tone of worry in Yukiko's voice. Even the brightest smile Kazemaru pulled off couldn't fool Yukiko. She was seriously concerned about him, because she had a clear idea what was the cause of bluenettes strange behavior. She just needed him to say it out loud.

Kazemaru tried to keep on his bright smile, "Sure, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He assured with a happy voice. He hoped it didn't sound too forced.

"You sure?" The girl just couldn't let go off the matter so easily.

"I'm just fine," Kazemaru once again assured and then continued, "You should go. Suzuno is waiting for you."

Surprise written on her face Yukiko turned around. She saw that her boyfriend was standing right next to Aiko and Nagumo. Her older sister was waving her hand, as if to tell Yukiko to hurry up.

"But I… But…" She sounded baffled. Yukiko then turned to Kazemaru, refusing to leave his side.

"I'm fine, seriously! You should go or they'll scold you." Kazemaru smiled sweetly, pushing the girl away from him.

With doubtful eyes Yukiko turned to Suzuno and then to Kazemaru. After giving a frustrated cry, she bowed deep and left Kazemaru. In matter of seconds she joined her sister and boyfriend to walk to school.

The bluenette smiled upon seeing the two happy couples walking side by side. "They're sure lucky…" He sighed in defeat and looked up at the sky. It was so clean and bright compared to yesterday.

"Not like me at all…" Kazemaru continued and continued strolling towards the school.

* * *

There was still time before the classes started. Kazemaru entered the classroom and made his way to his seat. He sat down and laid his head on the desk. He was fortuned to have his desk situated on the window row. This way he could keep on gazing outside during the class.

Kazemaru heard the bell ringing and snapped out of it for a moment. He lifted his head and noticed that all the students had gathered in the classroom and were hurrying to their seats. When the teacher walked in, everyone stood up and bowed. They then sat and the teacher began the lesson.

Kazemaru wasn't in the mood to pay attention to the class.

His head was full of Endou and he didn't know what to do anymore. It felt like his heart was ripping apart. The blue-haired boy sighed and took a glance outside.

When was it that he realized he loved Endou? When did he notice that the one he loved had someone else in his mind? Oh right…

It was on  _that day._

**~ Jr. High ~**

_On that day, the two of them had decided to visit a café after soccer practice. It had been Endou's suggestion, and Kazemaru had been taken aback by this sudden phenomenon, but he didn't decline it. How could he? Especially when Endou went through all the trouble to invite him._

_The two of them chatted happily after having ordered their desserts._

_"And you know, he used the hissatsu he had been trying, but I was able to block it with my God Catch. It seems that Gouenji still hasn't managed to complete that attack." Endou smiled happily, while he demonstrated how he had blocked Gouenji's new hissatsu during practice._

_"I bet he was frustrated about it. Bet he's still practicing completing that new hissatsu." Kazemaru smirked as he took a bite from his ice cream. They were all preparing for the upcoming Football Frontier. It was their last year in Jr. High so especially the third years were eager to win._

_"You're right." Endou rubbed his nose. "But, I can't wait to see that technique completed. It'll give us so much more strength to fight against the schools in Football Frontier. I just hope that he'll make it in time… since Teikoku will be especially hard to win against."_

_"Yeah. And this year we have Hakuren Jr. High, too. Fubuki won't less us win that easily." Kazemaru commented._

_Endou nodded at the comment, but all of a sudden, his bright smile faded away. The boy looked down troubled._

_"Is there something more you want?" They were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice._

_Kazemaru glanced up toward the person is question and found a red-haired and green-eyed boy standing before him. He was wearing a waiter's uniform what implied that he was working part-time there. It was such a coincidence that they happened to go to the place he worked at… or was it?_

_The bluenette's expression twisted and dark aura surrounded him as he glared at Kiyama Hiroto. On the other hand, Endou's expression seemed to brighten up and he cried in relief._

_"Hiroto, good to see you!" He exclaimed, maybe a little too enthusiastically. It seemed that he wasn't the least surprised that Hiroto had suddenly appeared before them._

_Hiroto smiled kindly at the brunette._

_At this moment Endou realized the question. "Oh, I don't want anything more, but how about you Kazemaru? I'll pay." Endou turned to the blue-haired teen._

_Hiroto shifted his glance from Endou to Kazemaru, poker-face remaining on his face. "Is there something you would like?" He questioned, only to receive an offended stare from Kazemaru._

_The boy stuffed a spoon filled with ice cream into his mouth and gave a bittering answer. "I'm full so I don't want anything, thanks."_

_Hiroto thanked Kazemaru with a smiling face and then turned to Endou. "By the way, have you told Kazemaru yet?"_

_Before Hiroto had even managed to finish his question, a wave of expressions appeared on Endou's face. His expressions changed from happy, to frightened, to troubled, and then sad. In the end, he shook his head and sighed._

_"Not yet. I brought him here, because I wanted to tell him."_

_Kazemaru was confused. What was the secret held between Endou and Hiroto? What exactly did Hiroto know that he did not? What, and why, was Endou hiding from him?_

_"I guess I was the first one to know then," Hiroto laughed, and after giving a fighting pose went to serve another table that had called for him. Endou and Kazemaru were left alone._

_Endou's gaze shifted to his melting ice cream and he poked it nervously with his spoon. Kazemaru kept staring at Endou, who glanced at him from times to time but averted his eyes every time they met. There was an awkward silence between the pair._

_Kazemaru decided to take the initiative. "So, what was the thing you wanted to tell me?"_

_It was as if he had set off a bomb. Endou thrusted the spoon so hard the ice cream split in half and splattered all over the table. He looked horrifiedly at the table, but it seemed that he was more concerned about what to say next, than his ice cream or the table. His jaw was trembling._

_Kazemaru felt hurt to see his best friend in such state, and decided not to force him say anything if he wasn't willing to. Endou could say it to him any other day, whenever he wanted. After all, they had all the days in the world._

_"If you don't want then…" The bluenette spoke, but stopped the moment Endou shook his head._

_It seemed that Kazemaru's interruption had helped him to calm down, and now Endou was staring at him with serious expression. His eyes were shining with determination. "I need to tell you this no matter what."_

_"Next week, I'll be moving to my grandfather's place."_

**~ High ~**

Kazemaru sighed.

Even to this date, he clearly remembered the horror inside him he moment he had heard those words. Unable to sustain the overwhelming news, he had quickly grabbed his belongings and dashed out of the café, before Endou had had chance to continue.

He could remember how Endou had called after him, but Kazemaru never looked back. As the fastest member of his club, he trusted his legs to take him faraway from Endou. In a matter of seconds, he was all alone.

The bluenette was returned back to reality once the bell rang. He shook the memories out of his mind and slowly rise from his seat. He didn't want to remember what happened after that.

After hearing Endou's words and realizing it was the truth, (various people had messaged him afterwards, worried about his absence) Kazemaru had cried the whole week. He didn't have the courage to say goodbye to Endou, and so, the 'café-date' was the last time he had seen Endou.

It not like Endou had waited for him to come, right? He had Hiroto, after all.

Kazemaru was heading towards the next classroom when he halted for a moment and stared outside. The weather was truly brilliant that day. The sun was shining brightly on the sky as to announce a happy occasion for everyone.

This kind of weather didn't make Kazemaru feel more comfortable, though. Since it had been almost identical one during his "date" with Endou, the bluenette was once again reminded of his unrequired love.

Kazemaru sighed heavily.

He was about to continue towards the next classroom, when his eyes unexpectedly spotted two very familiar figures. One of the boys had red-colored hair and green eyes, while the other had his green hair tied up on a ponytail. The two boys chatted happily while walking together.

It wasn't exactly uncommon to see the two boys together, they were childhood friends after all. But what caught Kazemaru's attention was how close the two seemed to be. There were acting more familiar than simple friends, and somehow it irritated Kazemaru.

The moment Hiroto pecked Midorikawa's cheek, Kazemaru blew up.

His books dropped on the floor as he stared at the couple on the yard. His mind blacked out for a moment, Kazemaru didn't know how to function properly anymore. His world was utterly destroyed.

Since when… Since exactly when had Hiroto been together with Midorikawa? What happened to his relationship with Endou? Did Hiroto dumb him? Or even worse.

Was he TWO-TIMING?

Kazemaru regained himself in a minute and squeezed his fists. Without any second to lose, he dashed towards the front doors.

He needed an explanation!

In the first years building, that was located opposed to the second years building, Okazaki Aiko and Yukiko were heading towards their classroom, when they suddenly noticed a commotion near the windows. The crowd was slowly gathering to one side of the hallway. Whispers could be heard as everyone stared outside.

"That doesn't look good."

"Is he beating them up?"

"Should we call a teacher?"

"What's going on?"

"A fight! Look everyone, it's a fight! The second years are fighting!" A loud classmate shouted as he ran past the twins. It seemed that he was running around the building, announcing the scene to everyone. It was as if the fight had become an event.

The twins glanced at each other with surprised looks. As this was a high-end school, fights were rare to happen. Therefore, when something actually happened, it was bound to gather some crowd. There was no way, Aiko and Yukiko would miss something so interesting, so they decided to join everyone in the look-out.

"Hey, hey… Aren't they from the Soccer Club?" They heard someone whisper, while trying to squeeze their way to the front. This caught their attention. If it really were someone from the Soccer Club, things weren't looking good.

"I haven't seen the blue-haired one, but the other two are Kiyama and Midorikawa, right?" Came a reply. The twins started to panic. What exactly were Hiroto and Midorikawa doing!?

"I recall the blue-haired one is Kazemaru. I heard he used to be part of the club in Jr. High, but quit unexpectedly." Another voice spoke, revealing the third person.

That moment the twins stopped.

"Kazemaru?" Aiko questioned while turning towards Yukiko. Their eyes were wide open from shock.

"WHAAT?" The twins screamed in unison, while pushing their way towards the front. It wasn't exactly easy to get past everyone, because there were a lot of people. While they had been kind to everyone till now, the twins suddenly barged with such power some were thrown on the floor.

When they were finally by the windows and had a clear view to the school yard, the girls screamed for the second time. They couldn't believe this was happening. They knew every one of the fighting trio.

"Oh. My. God! It's really them!" Yukiko cried eyes wide-open. At that very moment Kazemaru was smacking Hiroto, while the desperate Midorikawa tried to separate the two fighting guys, failing miserably.

"You… YOU!" Aiko shouted in frustration. She warned everyone to back away before forcing one of the windows open. The unfortunate ones who couldn't back away soon enough, would have to meet the school nurse that day. Aiko didn't care though, she was in a hurry.

"I'll go get them, you run after me!" she informed her younger sister as she jumped down. Much to their luck, the girls had their classroom on the first floor, so Aiko landed safely. Had it been the second or third floor, she could've died. Unless there was a tree.

Because trees save everyone.

Yukiko sighed loudly at her sisters' impulsivity and then started to make her way out from the crowd. She headed towards the shoe lockers. Changing on her out-door shoes the indigo-head opened the front door. A wide smirk was complimenting her face.

_"It's show time!"_

"You fucking two-timer!" Kazemaru yelled in anger as he charged towards Hiroto. He pulled his arm and smacked Hiroto straight to face. The sudden attack caught the red-head off guard. He stepped back and fell down. There was an irony taste in his mouth as Hiroto spitted blood.

"What… what on earth are you doing?" It took a minute for Midorikawa to comprehend what had just happened. When he finally reacted, his voice was mixed with anger and panic. Midorikawa hurriedly knelt to make sure Hiroto was alright. He offered to help the red-head up, but Hiroto ignored him.

As soon as he was up, a wicked smirk crossed his face.

"Don't interrupt." He instructed before turning to Kazemaru. The bluenette was staring at him with deadly eyes. Switching from smirk to smile, Hiroto then continued, "It seems that he finally showed his true colors."

There was an icy moment between the three. No one moved during that time. Kazemaru was glaring at the two while Hiroto kept on his characteristic poker-smile. The more Kazemaru glared at Hiroto the more miserable he felt inside. He could clearly tell that tears were slowly filling his eyes.

Why did… Why on earth did HIS Endou fall for this guy? This VERY guy, who cheated on him while he was away. Kazemaru felt as if he was on a roller coaster of emotions. One second he felt angry, while a moment later an unbearable sadness filled his whole body.

What had he done, for Endou to fall for this guy?

Eventually the fight resumed, but it was very one-sided. Kazemaru was attacking non-stop while Hiroto dodged his throws. It seemed that Hiroto didn't make any effort to attack back, though. As if he didn't want to hurt Kazemaru.

Ten minutes passed on a whim, with neither of the guys willing to give up. They both panted heavily as they stopped to catch a breath. Midorikawa could only watch from the sidelines as his two friends fought. He wanted to help, but Hiroto had forbid him from interrupting. Midorikawa felt so hopeless.

The interruption and help Midorikawa hoped for, arrived. I certain idiotic indigo-head came and stopped the fight. And she came flying, literally.

"Okazaki Special: Icy Inazuma Kick!" The girl yelled as she same flying towards the boys. She made 180 degrees turn with her body and kicked Kazemaru straight to stomach. The boy immediately fell on his knees as sudden pain entered his stomach. The kick had been so strong that it had emptied his lungs. Kazemaru had to cough to catch his breath.

"What in the worlds peace are you doing, Ichini-san? Explain yourself." Despite being a first year, Aiko surely didn't bother to show respect towards her senior. She neither smiled or bowed. Aiko's voice was threatening. Someone had interrupted her happy day and she was not pleased about it.

"It has nothing to do with you! Now out of the way so that I can…" Kazemaru ignored Aiko's threatening tone and was throwing daggers at Hiroto. He got interrupted by the indigo-head who grabbed his shirts collar.

Her veins were popping hard as she glared at the boy. "You even dare to think about that and I…" The girls voice unexpectedly faded away before she could finish her sentence. He expression showed that she was slightly shocked as he loosened her grip on Kazemaru. The girl backed away a few steps.

Kazemaru Ichirouta cried.

"You guys… why…?" Kazemaru tried to ask, but his words got lost under his cry.

"What do you mean?" Aiko asked in worried tone. She hadn't expected for this happen. He broke down so easily. What had she done to him? Was it really because of her? Had her kick been so strong he felt like crying? Aiko slowly started to panic.

By this time, Yukiko finally arrived at the scene. She waved her hand as she ran towards them. "Are you guys alright? Is everything okay?" The younger sister questioned. She jumped up at the sight of Hiroto, who was bruised and beaten up. It seemed that he would have a black eye for a while.

At last, Yukiko's eyes wandered to Kazemaru. The blue-haired teen was crying his eyes out. It seemed that the arrival of Yukiko triggered his hidden emotions to erupt. He was pretty much crying waterfalls by now.

Everyone was speechless. They kept glancing at each other, hoping that someone was brave enough to make a move. Aiko and Yukiko both stopped to look at Hiroto, who immediately shook his head. Given his outburst, it was obvious that Kazemaru had been keeping it in for a long time. He needed let it all go. If Hiroto, who was also the target of his anger, went to him, it would only do harm.

The bell rang, interrupting the silence.

No one moved. Kazemaru was finally calming down, but no one in the group had thoughts of heading to the class. Who cared about their school attendance when their friend was in immense pain. They had no plans on abandoning him.

"Why is it only me who can't work things out?" Kazemaru finally managed to blurt out, speaking in quiet voice. He sneered loudly and wiped tears from his face. No one wanted to admit it, but he was a mess. His red and swelled eyes did no justice to his usually beautiful face.

"You…" Aiko started, but was interrupted by Kazemaru.

"Look at me. Here I am, crying in the school yard because I can't meet the person I love. Just how pathetic is that!? Why am I in unrequired love? Why can't I be like you guys!? Why can't I be happy!?" The moment everyone heard these words, they knew exactly what was going on. They had had a hunch that Kazemaru was still grieving over the separation from Endou and Aiko was even more sure about it, after what had happened the previous day.

These words confirmed their suspicions true.

Kazemaru hadn't gotten over Endou. And now he had somehow mistaken that there was something going on between Endou and Hiroto. Things needed to be cleared up. Kazemaru needed to know the truth.

Aiko and Yukiko glanced at each other and then at Hiroto. The trio nodded. The twins walked to Kazemaru, grabbed his both arms and forced him up. Aiko then smiled kindly at the bluenette while patting his cheek.

"What exactly makes you think that you're not like us? Why do you think that were happy? You do know that I fight with Haruya every-single-time we meet, right?" The emphasize on her boyfriend might've been a too much, because everyone knew that the couple loved to tease each other. Even their first date had been a disaster because of this.

Yukiko decided to step in before her sister ruined everything. "You also know that we can't be happy unless you're happy, right? And that Endou never had feelings towards Hiroto."

"How…?"

Kazemaru was at loss. How did the twins know the name of his crush? For how long had they known it? Did everyone know it?

"It's pretty obvious, right Nee-san!" Yukiko smiled happily.

"Why of course. It didn't take a genius to notice the change in your behavior whenever Mamoru-nii was around. And when Mamoru-nii left, it was as if a half of you had been ripped away. I couldn't bear to see you hurting yourself like that." The older sister told. Her playful tone had completely disappeared by the third sentence.

So, they knew. Kazemaru looked down. Everyone was aware about this feelings towards Endou. His eyes widened suddenly.

"Then… what about Hiroto…?" Kazemaru questioned, turning towards the red-head. Endou had feelings towards him, right? There was clearly something going on, so he must've been as devastated to hear the news. Kazemaru was sure he wasn't the only one.

"Ah him, he never liked Baka Mamoru. They hanged around together a lot because they were aware who the other party loved… you know, like helping a comrade-in-hand. Apparently, because of their close relationship, Baka Hiro was the first one to hear about Baka Mamoru's move." Yukiko explained the situation.

"Then you… never… liked… him…" Kazemaru's eyes were wide-open. What had he done?

Hiroto nodded lightly and grabbed a lot of Midorikawa's arm. The greenette was startled of this sudden skin-ship. His face turned tomato red in a matter of milliseconds.

While embracing Midorikawa, Hiroto smiled. "This guy is the only person I've loved, and the only person I will ever love."

Aiko facepalmed. This was the most clichéd sentence she had heard, and to think it had come from Kiayama Hiroto's mouth. Even Yukiko wasn't hiding the disgust she felt.

Kazemaru took him seriously, though. His expression darkened as he looked down. "What have I done… I thought he didn't care about me, I never had the courage to… and before I knew he was gone. He's gone forever and now I won't see him ever again…" He mumbled to himself as teardrops rolled down his cheeks and hit the ground.

Aiko and Yukiko glanced at each other, nodding in agreement.

"Should we tell him? It's supposed to be a secret…" Yukiko asked while she gripped Aiko's right hand.

"We should! Secrets are meant to be broken!" Aiko answered while grabbing Yukiko's right hand. She apparently mixed up rulers and secrets.

"ICHINI-SAN!" The girls then shouted in unison and continued. "If you hurry to the airport you can still make it in time."

Raimon City Airport.

"I'm back!"

A brown-haired teen stepped out of the plane and smiled. He was finally back in Japan. Going overseas to study, he had hurried his studies to return as fast as possible. In the end, it had still taken him almost three years, but now he was back. Being away for all the years, he had missed Japan a lot.

"I bet Kazemaru will be surprised." Endou rubbed his nose excited. Alongside his parents, the bluenette was the person he wanted to see the most.

His smile suddenly faded away. Endou sighed the moment he remembered, what had happened when he had told about his transfer to Kazemaru.

I had taken a lot of his courage to reveal everything to Kazemaru. He was happy to move live with his grandfather, but at the same time it broke his heart to realize that he wouldn't be seeing Kazemaru for three years.

At that time, three years earlier, it had taken a lot of courage to reveal his plans to Kazemaru. He was already troubled while talking with Hiroto, but this felt more personal. After all, it was his crush in question. Endou hadn't been sure whether he could do it or not.

"Next week, I'll be moving to my grandfather's place!" He had finally managed to shout out the truth. Afraid of Kazemaru's response, Endou closed his eyes and prayed for the best. He had done all he could, now it all depended on Kazemaru.

Seconds later he had heard a spoon fall, and finally dared to open his eyes. Before him was frightened Kazemaru with his mouth open, shaking his head in desperation. Apparently, it didn't go so well.

"Kaze-" Endou had wanted to say, but the blue-haired boy stood up in a flash and dashed away from the café. Endou hadn't even had the chance to explain himself. The mission had failed after the first step.

"WAIT!" He had tried to yell after Kazemaru, but it was too late. With Kazemaru's speed, he was already long gone. Endou sighed, slamming his hand on the table.

"Didn't go so well?" Hiroto had asked while approaching Endou. Given the fact that the brunette was alone, the outcome had been pretty obvious.

Endou had sighed at his words and showed a miserable smile. "Yeah, he didn't hear me out at all."

Just remembering the scene from that day, made Endou sighed loudly. At that time, he hadn't managed to tell Kazemaru that it would be only temporary leave, that he would return to Japan after three years. As he headed towards the entrance, Endou remembered something else.

"At time, I didn't even get to confess my feelings."

The thought alone made Endou feel desperate. Even though three years had passed, he still felt strong affection towards the bluenette. After all the years, his feelings remain just as strong as on that day. This made Endou feel miserable, because he had no clue of Kazemaru's feelings.

Most likely he had already forgotten about him. Would Kazemaru even recognize him?

Endou wasn't aware, that there was someone searching for him.

Kazemaru ran past the entrance doors and looked around. He seemed restless, wanting to continue the search right away, but had to stop to catch his breath. He had run the whole way from school to the airport and was out of breath. He needed to confirm whether the twins were saying the truth. Was Endou really back?

Kazemaru had never imagined, that the day he would see Endou again would come.

According to the twins, his arrival was supposed to be a secret, but trusting such information to Okazaki's was a mistake. They couldn't hold back the tension and blurted out that Endou was returning to Japan. While Kazemaru wasn't sure should he trust the twins, Hiroto's words pretty much convinced his suspicion.

"You should hurry and tell him how you feel. Don't let this chance to slip away."

Kazemaru was still leaning against his knees, trying to stabilize his breathing. Just for a second he looked up, and much to his surprise his eyes spotted a familiar figure wandering in the crowd. Kazemaru's eyes widened and he felts as tears started to form.

_'It's him... It's really him'_  Kazemaru didn't even try to stop the tears. He was so glad to see the brunette that he forgot about everything else. He was still out of breath, and his body wouldn't listen to him, but something pulled him towards the person he knew too well. Only one word escaped from his lips.

"ENDOU!"

Endou was searching for the exit when he suddenly heard a voice calling. He made a sudden turn and saw a familiar figure running towards him. For a minute, Endou forgot to breath. Was it real? Was he seeing a mirage? Endou had to blink a few times to confirm that the person before him was indeed real.

"Kazemaru!" was all he could come up with.

"Endou…" Kazemaru stopped before the brown-haired boy, his sight blurry from tears. Finally, finally… after so many years, he could see the person he loved the most. Kazemaru took a moment to dry his eyes. Then, he looked at Endou with serious expression.

"There's something I want to tell you." Kazemaru finally made up his mind. It was like Hiroto had said, he couldn't let this chance slip away. He needed to do it now, because there might not be a second chance.

"Yes?" Endou looked slightly confused of the sudden seriousness. He had never seen Kazemaru act this was, so he didn't know how to react.

Without any second thought, Kazemaru approached Endou and embraced the boy. Endou blushed in panic and mumbled something, but stopped the moment Kazemaru whispered into his ear. The bluenette was too focused to get those four words out of his mouth to hear Endou.

"I love you, Mamoru."

The moment Endou realized what Kazemaru had just said, his face turned redder. He had imagined saying those words to Kazemaru himself, but he had never thought that the bluenette would be one to make the first move. He had never thought that they feelings were mutual.

Now that Endou was aware of Kazemaru's feelings, he knew what he needed to do. The very thing he couldn't do three years ago - he had been given a second chance to do it now. Endou wrapped his arms around Kazemaru, returning the embrace.

"Me too." Endou said with deep crimson in his face. "I love you, Ichirouta."

* * *

**A/N:**  This was it for the official story. The next part is a short drabble I've written, read it at your own risk.

* * *

**Drabble: READ IF YOU DARE TO!**

"Oh, look! There they are!" Aiko cried in excitement as she entered the airport and spotted Kazemaru and Endou embracing each other.

She was being followed by Yukiko, Nagumo, Suzuno, Midorikawa and Hiroto. Nagumo seemed clearly displeased to be there.

"Why on earth ARE we HERE?" He commented angrily.

"Since when they've been together?" Suzuno asked, completely ignoring Nagumo's words.

Yukiko understood that her boyfriend was referring to the two boys. "Since about, NOW!" she smirked as she saw the two kissing each other.

"Yes! We did it! They're finally a thing!" Aiko celebrated and hugged her little sister.

"Yes, we finally did it," Yukiko smiled as she returned her sisters embrace. The girl then continued, "By the way, your acting was top-notch like always. No wonder you're the leading actress of the drama club despite being a first year."

Aiko rubbed her nose, looking slightly embarrassed, "Thanks."

"And that kick was awesome too!" Hiroto joined the conversation as he approached the sisters and the trio high-fived.

"Yeah, wasn't it! I'm pretty proud of my kicking ability!" Aiko explained enthusiastically.

Yukiko smiled at Hiroto. "You too played your role perfectly."

"Really? I was no nervous, I thought I would mix up something." Hiroto laughed desperately.

"Have you done that, and I would've sent you to hell by now." Aiko glared at him with her eyes burning.

"Wait guys!" Midorikawa interrupted the trio and continued. "You mean you planned all of this… How in the world could…? I mean… How did you know how Kazemaru would react, and that he was angry and Hiroto because of Endou… and… and…?" He was at loss of words.

The trio glanced at each other and then smiled mysteriously.

"Not telling!" The twins laughed while pulling out their tongues. They then ran to congratulate Endou and Kazemaru.

Midorikawa felt like he had been played. He felt like going after them share a word or two with the trio. Before he could go, though, two figures near him sighed.

"You could research on them your lifetime and still figure nothing. That's the way they are." Suzuno stated, looking at his girlfriend.

"They're pain in the ass, but you can't hate them for those pranks." Nagumo continued after his best friend.

Midorikawa turned to look at the trio that had finally surrounded Endou and Kazemaru. A light smile escaped from his lips.

"Yeah…" the boy chuckled and ran after everyone.

It was still a mystery whether the trio had staged it all or it was just a prank. They refused to speak about it, and kept on giving different answers every time. It was up to everyone decide what they thought about the incident.

In the end, the most important factor happened. Endou and Kazemaru were finally able to confess their feelings toward each other and realize that their love was mutual. Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this news.

All's well that ends well.


End file.
